Printing-press



(No Model.)

R. M. HUIITER.

PRINTING PRESS.

No. 271,070. Patented Ja'n.Z3,' 1883.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

RUDOLPH M. HUNTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PRINTING-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,070, dated January23, 1853. Application filed June 5, 1882. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH M. HUNTER, of the city and county ofPhiladelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Printing-Presses, of

which the following is a specification, referpaper from one cylinder istransferred to the other cylinder, whereby it is reversed to be printedon both sides, the said suction device being adapted to operateintermittently, so as to hold the paper only for an instant and preventits printed surface being drawn over the suction-plate, and in detailsof construction, as more fullyset forth hereinafter.

This invention is an improvement upon Letters Patent granted to Henry P.Feister, dated April 18, 1882, and numbered 256,662, and

- particularly relates to the means by which the sheets of paper aretransferred from one cylinder to the other and reversed,'said meansbeing substituted for the nippers and auxiliary mechanism in the patentabove referred to.

The object of this invention is to provide suitable means by which thepaper sheet may be reversed by the aid of suction apparatus and currentsofair and preventits being blurred or smutted. I do notclaim the use ofsuction apparatus, broadly, for this purpose of reversing the sheet, myimprovements being the mechanism by which an intermittent suction orblast is obtained to be used in the abovespecitied manipulations of thesheets, and by which they are kept clean.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an enlarged section elevation of part ofthe two impressioncylinders and my improved suction reversing mechanism,through the agency of which the sheets of paper are transferred from onecyl inder to the other and at the same time re versed. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the suction mechanism removed from the machine, and Fig. 3is a sectional elevation of the printin g-machine complete.

A is theframe of the machine. Y B are guidebeds secured to the frame,and guide the endless chain of type-form carriages (J, which may besupported upon rollers to reduce friction. These carriages carry thetype, and may be provided on .one or both sides with racks C, which meshwith the teeth D and E on the impression-cylinders D and E, and fromwhich saidtype-carriagesreceivetheirniotion. These impression-cylindersare two in number, and are provided with impression-surfaces d and c,and also with spaces cl and c, the impression-surfaces being provided inthe usual manner with make-readies, and are equal in number to thenumber of type-carriages 0, those (I printing from every alternatecarriage and those 0 printing from the carriages omitted.

Therefore each of theimpression-cylinders prints from one-half of theentire number of typecarriages. The forward ends of each of theimpression-surfaces d and e are provided with nippers F, adapted to holdone end of the paper sheets 1 and cause them to be carried around bysaid impression-cylinders, and between them and the type on thecarriages. These nippers may be actuated by armsf, carryingfriction-rollers on their ends, springsf,

and cams G and H.

The paper sheets may be fed by hand from the table I, or automaticfeeding mechanism may be used, as set forth in the aforesaid patcut toFeister, in which the sheets are automatically cut from a roll of paper.The sheet is arrested in feeding position by the stop I, and as it risesthe paper sheet is caught by the nippers F, which are closed by springsfthe moment the armsf run off the cam G, and the said sheet is carriedaroundwith the revolving cylinder D. Each impression-surface receives asheet of paper as it passes the table I. The sheet is then carried downand over the type on the carriages O, which has been previously inked byinking-cylinder Q, and is printed on one side. It is then carried up infront of the suction-plate m of the air-box M, through which air isintermittently sucked, and is freed by the n ippers and arrested by anadjustable stop, m. When the sheet is being drawn up before thesuction-plate, the'air is shut off by valve-plate M, whose surface maybe provided with holes or slots, and from the bottom or point of'box Mby valve M; but the instant the paper is raised the proper height andfreed the valve-plate M and valve M rise, opening the air-ports, and thesheet I is sucked against the plate m and its lower end drawn overagainst the cylinder E, where it is caught by nippers F. The instant itis caught by the nippers of cylinder E the suction ceases, and a blastof air is forced out of the box M, blowing the paper away from thesuction-plate until it has been drawn away clear of the same. to preventsmutting of the wet ink. If desired, the blast may be dispensed with andthe suction shut oif by valveplate M and valve M. or the valves may beshut off and the partial vacuum in box M changed to pressure; but Iprefer the alternate suction and blast. The drawings show thearrangement of parts just as the blast has been put on, and the sheet lis shown as blown away from plate m. The valve-plate M maybe operated byan arm, M secured to a rock-arm, M

passing through the box' M, and provided on its outer end with a crankor arm, M Gonnecting this arm M and one arm of hellcrank M is a bar, MThis bell-crank M is actuated by a cam, 0 secured upon the shaft 0,carrying the fan N, and intermediate gearwheel,D which meshes with thegear-wheels D and E and operates the entire machine. If desired, the fanmay be driven by another shaft-abut the arrangement shown makes themachine more compact.

The suction and blast are controlled as follows: There are three ports,N, N, and N opening into the top of the box or chamber M, and beforewhich a valve, N reciprocates to connect any two of saidports. Oftheseports N is alternately a blast and suction port. N is always ablastport, and N is always a suction-port. The valve N alternatelyconnects ports N N and N N and is reciprocated or rocked by arock-shaft, N provided on the end with an arm, N, to the end of which ishinged the reciprocating bar N", guided by hearing N and provided on itsend with a roller which works against a cam, O, secured to the shaft 0.The portN communicates with the atmosphere, port N with the periphery ofthe fan-chamber, and port N with the eye of the fan-chamber. The solidarrows indicate the direction of the currents of air when there isapressure in the box M, and the dotted lines indicate the currents whenthere is a partial vacuum in box M. As the paper I is drawn down andabout clear of the plate at the valveplate M and. valve M are closed bycam 0 and instantly the cam O shifts the valve N connecting the ports NN and allowing the fan N to create a partial vacuum in the box M. Theinstant the next sheet is brought up into position the valve-plate Mopens its ports and the sheet is sucked against plate m, and when thenippers F of cylinderE have caught it the valve N is shifted to theposition shown, and now the fan is blowing directly into the chamber M.

While I prefer the combined actions of blast I and suction, yet it isevident that I may use either one alone by dispensing with either thevalve N or valve-plate M and valve M Any other suitable mechanism may beused to operate these air-valves, and the valves themselves may be madein various ways without departing from my invention.

The cylinder E carries the sheet a second time over the type-carriages,and it is printed on the opposite side. After being printed on bothsides the sheet is carried up a short distance and freed from thenippers by a continuation of cam H, and is carried away from thecylinder by tapes or hands R, which encircle cylinder E and roller r. Itthen passes between the bands R R, and then between bands RIt tofly-frame T, which folds the sheets down upon table T. To this end ofthe machine may be attached suitable binding, folding, and trimmingmechanism, as shown in the patent to Feister, specified hereinbet'ore.

Having now described my invention,,what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a printing press, twoimpression-cylinders provided with a series of impression-surfaces andspaces, and an endless chain of carriages adapted to carry thetype-forms, one of said cylinders printing from every alternatetype-form and the other printing from those omitted, in combination withan air-box arranged between said cylinders, and having its faceperforated, and means, substantially as described, acting intermittentlyto create a partial vacuum or pressure in said box by which the sheetsarefed from one cylinder to the other after being printed on one side.

2. In a printing-press, two impression-cylinders provided with a seriesof impression-surfaces and spaces, and an endless chain of carriagesadapted. to carry the type-forms, one of said cylinders printing. fromevery alternate type-form and the other printing from those omitted, incombination with an air-box, means, substantially as described, tocreate a suction and pressure therein, and valved orifices opening fromsaid air-box and adapted to cause intermittent suction through saidorifices, by which the sheets, when being fed from one cylinder pressurein said air-box, by which the sheets,

when being fed from one cyiinder to the other, are transferred withoutsmuttin g, after having been printed on one side.

4. In a printing-press, two impression cylinders provided with a seriesof impression-surfaces and spaces, said surfaces being furnished withautomatically-acting nippers or clamps to hold the paper sheets,and anendless chain of type-form carriages, one of said cylinders printingfrom every alternate type-carriage, and the other printing from thoseomitted,

in combination with a feed-table from which.

the paper is fed to one of said cylinders,and upon which the sheets areheld by said nippers, an air-box provided with a suction-surface,intermittently-acting valves to control the suction or passage of airthrough said suction-surface, by which said sheet of paper is held for aperiod of time only sufficient to allow the nippers upon the othercylinder to clamp the lower edge of said sheet, the suction-surface thenreleasing said paper, mechanism, substantially as described, to'actnatethe nippers upon one cylinder to free the paper wheh before thesuction-surface, and mechanism, substantially as described, to cause thenippers on the other of said cylinders to clamp the paper and draw itoff said suction-surface,

(the air-blast aiding to effect the transfer without smutting,) andcause it to be printed upon the other side, and means, substantially asdescribed, to create currents of air through said suction-surface andair-box.

5. In a printing-machine, the combination of cylinders D and E, havingsurfaces d and e and spaces (1 and e, type-form carriages G, nippers F,means, substantially as described, to actuate said nippers, suction orair box M, having perforated surface at, valve-plate M, tan N, andmeans, substantially as described, to intermittently actuate saidvalve-plate, substantially as specified.

6. In a printing-machine, the combination of cylinders D and E, havingsurfaces (1 and e and spaces (1 and e, type'form carriages O, nippers F,means, substantially as described, to actuate said nippers, suction orair box M, having perforated surface 122, Valve-plate M, arm M shaft M,cam 0 and connecting mechanism, substantially as described.

7. In a printing-machine, the combination of cylinders D and E, havingsurfaces d and e and spaces 01 and e, type-form carriages O, nippers F,means, substantially as described, to actuate said nippers, air-box M,having perforated surface m, ports N, N, and N valve N means,substantially as described, to actuate said valve, and fan N,substantially as specified. v

S. In a printing-machine, the combination of cylinders D E, havingsurfaces at and e and teeth D and E, nippers F, means, substantially asdescribed, to actuate said nippers, type-form carriages O, air-box M,ports N, N, and N means, substantially as described, to alternatelyconnect two of said ports to create a suction or blast in said air-box,fan N, shaft 0, and intermediate gear, D substantially as set forth.

9. In a printingmachine, the combination of cylinders D and E, havingsurfaces cl and 6, type-form carriages (J, nippers F, means,substantially as described, to actuate said nippers, air-box M,havin gperforated surface m, valveplate M, ports N, N and N valve N, fan N, andmechanism to actuate said valves, substantially as specified.

. 10. In a printing-machine, the combination of cylinders D and E,having surfaces dand'e, type-form carriages O, nippers F, means,substantiall y as described, to actuate said nippers, air-box M, havingperforated surface m, valveplate M, means, substantially as described,to intermittently actuate said valve-plate, fan N. and adjustable stopm, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

11. In a printing-machine, the combination of cylinders I) and E, havingsurfaces 01 e,

and nippers F, means, substantially as dc scribed, to actuate saidnippers, type-form carriages 0, air box M, having perforated surface m,valve-plate M, and valve M fan N, and means, substantially as described,to actuate said valves to control the currents of air through thesurface at, substantially for the purpose specified.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand. a

RUDOLPH M. HUNTER.

Witnesses:

R. S. CHILD, Jr., R. A. GAVIN.

